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There is a passage in the Bible that describes the ideal wife. If you are eager to find your life partner, are you just as eager to become the kind of person who will be the joy of his life? This passage would make a good guide for you in that ambition. I am going to skip some of the verses only because I do not have space to talk about them all. But please go ahead and read the whole passage in your own Bible. Proverbs 31:10-31 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. Instead of saving money to buy jewelry, Christian girls should be in training to BECOME JEWELS themselves, by developing a sweet, loving, merciful, tender spirit as God desires. 11The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. Your husband will not be able to trust in you if your mother and father cannot trust in you now, so cultivate trustworthiness by becoming someone your parents can depend on to get done what needs to be done around the house and in your life. Become a girl who does not secretly behave differently behind her parents' back than the way she behaves when they are present in the room. You will not suddenly change when you get married. The character you will have when you are married is being developed in you NOW, and you decide how much you will cooperate with the Holy Spirit's work in your life. 12She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. Are you cultivating a habit of doing good for others and not just doing good for yourself? 13She looks for wool and flax, And works with her hands in delight. Are you learning right now to make working with your hands a delight? The things you delight in will NOT change overnight. You are deciding them now, during your girlhood (which will not last forever). Once you are married and have babies, you will be more tired than you are, so now is the time to develop new skills with your hands. If you are already a practiced knitter or crocheter or sewer by the time you are pregnant and have little children, these skills will be easier for you than if you wait until then to learn them. 15She rises also while it is still night, And gives food to her household... This is a woman with an early rising habit, and a woman who is not lazy or slow in seeing that everyone gets properly fed. Are you learning to help with food preparation and preservation and harvest for your family? Watch your mother and learn from her in these areas. Ask how she chooses the best produce in the grocery store. Help her wash fruits and vegetables, prepare foods, and arrange them on the dining table. Get in the habit of offering drinks and refreshments to guests (with your mother's prior permission- don't offer foods to guests that you have not cleared with her first.) 16She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard. If your family grows vegetables or fruit, watch and learn how to grow food yourself. (But don't use chemical pesticides if you can help it because they can cause cancers.) Living, growing things are such a pleasure to nurture and tend. They are changing all the time just like your children will after you have babies. Growing things are such a delight. Why not take interest in them now, while you are still young, and learn the secrets of what makes them healthy and vibrant? 17She girds herself with strength, And makes her arms strong. Are your arms becoming strong from work around the house and outdoors? Work is the best source of physical strength, and your best years for having lots of energy are now. Not only boys need to be strong. Girls do to, for you will be caring for the house and lifting little children as a mom. So take pride and joy in working hard around the house and yard and garden. It will give you strength and better health for your future. 20She extends her hand to the poor; And she stretches out her hands to the needy. Do you delight in helping others who are in need? Keep an eye out for someone who needs a helping hand and be ready to help them out. Get involved in the things your mother does for others and share that load. The virtuous woman is a woman who eagerly shares her resources, time, and strength with those who need her help. 22She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Are you going to learn to sew? Sewing is such a source of riches for a young mother. When I had little children we could not afford all the clothing or toys they needed, but I already knew how to sew because I began sewing my own dresses when I was 14 years old. By the age of 16 I had sewn my whole wardrobe myself, plus a Holly Hobby doll and stuffed animals and a few baby clothes. So sewing little clothes and stuffed animals for my children was much easier than it would have been otherwise. Many moms who are pregnant, having nausea, or caring for young children just give up if they have not already learned to sew ahead of marriage. Your golden opportunity for learning to sew lies in these years before you. Don't wait for Prince Charming to come along first. Your girlhood years are the time to learn to sew. |